It’s been a tense atmosphere in the stadium as the elimination rounds of the Australian Para-Badminton International 2018 take place. With the draw narrowed right down to the semi-finals, spectators and players have witnessed fist-pumps, dives, net calls and smashes galore.
Some of the biggest upsets of the day came from the women’s singles wheelchair 1. Seung Suk Kim from Korea defeated the first seed from Japan, Ikumi Fuke, in three games 18-21 21-18 21-14 to secure her place in the final against Sarina Satomi – the second seed, also from Japan.
“Unfortunately I’ve lost some of my matches today, but I’ll do my best in my remaining matches. Doubles is an important event for me and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, so I need to increase my time on court to practice with my partner and improve my singles game.” says Ikumi Fuke.
Similarly, the dual-nationality pairing of Tim Haller (Germany) and Ukun Rukaendi (Indonesia) showed no evidence of first-time partnership in the men’s doubles SL3 – SL4 classification. The pair performed above their ranking as third seeds to defeat second seeds Daisuke Fujihara and Toshiaki Suenaga of Japan 21-16 21-9.
Later in the afternoon, spectators were treated to a three-game thriller in the all-Indonesian semi-final between the Dwiyoko Dwiyoko/Leani Ratri Oktila (seeded third/fourth) and Fredy Setiawan/Khalimatus Sadiyah Sukohandoko (second seeds). All the players showed depth of experience and skill as the players constantly fought for control of the net in the mixed doubles SL 3 – SU 5 classification! Although the reigning World Champion from 2017, Leani Ratri Oktila, wouldn’t hold back and with the powerful smashes from Dwiyokio, the pair eventually won 21-15 16-21 21-18.
In one of the longest matches in the tournament, the first seed in the men’s singles (SU 5 classification), Suryo Nughoro from Indonesia, survived the threat of Wei Ming Tay from Singapore. Last for over one hour, Nughoro managed to outmanoeuvre his opponent to take the game 19-21 21-16 21-13.
As day three comes to a close, you can view the full list of results across all the classifications on Tournament Software. The schedule and draw for the finals will also be available later in the day.
Remember you can watch all the action LIVE and for FREE on the live-streaming site, provided by OVO. The finals will take place from 9.30am on Sunday 25 November – click here to watch.
